In-Service Oil Analysis

Condition Monitoring (CM) was coined ca.1980, replacing and augmenting NDT (Non-Destructive Testing). A good CM program, like oil testing and lube analysis can offer potential savings ranging from 10 - 50 times the cost. Lubricating equipment is essential to maintenance and proper function. Used oil analysis allows you to ensure proper lubrication.

Used Oil Testing Equipment

CM employs a variety of techniques for machine monitoring to ensure they are lubricating equipment properly, like used oil analysis, without interruption of the machine’s work or production. CM methods, like lube testing, are closely alied with other terms such as Predictive Maintenance or Proactive Maintenance, Reliability Centered Maintenance. The primary CM techniques being:

Wear Debris Analytics - similar to used Oil Analysis: the inspection of wear metals with oil testing equipment to determine origin, wear mechanism and contamination levels. (see kittiwake and Linerscan.com for a range of ferrography and magnetometry solutiosn available from Parker Kittiwake).

Lubricant Analysis Equipment

There are secondary techniques, including thermography that serve as ancillary support to used in-service oil analysis. Nevertheless, Oil testing equipment and vibration monitoring are the dominant CM players.

* WDA using on-line solutions from Parker Kittiwake have built in data processing and require a low level of expertise for accurate interpretation of results.

Acoustic Emission

Vibration Analysis

In-Service Oil Analysis

Infrared Thermography

Wear Debris Analysis

Sensor Position

Not Critical

Critical

Not Critical

Not Critical

Critical

Expertise

Low

High

Medium

Medium

High

Applicability

Wide

Wide

Wide

Wide

Medium

Damage Detection

Early

Early

Early

Low-Med

Medium

Low Speed Sensitivity

High

Low

Low

High

High

Technologies available from the Kittiwake group of companies

Acoustic Emission:

Kittiwake Holroyd Technology

Oil Analysis:

Kittiwake Developments Technology (Analex)

Wear Debris Analysis:

Kittiwake Developments Technology

Parker Kittiwake offer solutions for all options, with particular emphasis on increasing demand for early warning On-Line and On-Site solutions.

Regular lubricanting in-service oil analysis at an appropriate interval is important. The ability to trend test values and set limits is often critical in drawing proper conclusions. In turn, this directs the maintenance effort. Used oil testing is a means to an end: a useful and accurate assessment of equipment and lube condition which will drive maintenance action efficiently. Without a quality evaluation, the used oil testing itself is for naught.

Click here to listen to a podcast: Jack Poley, Technical Director for Kittiwake-Americas, describes his view of the Condition Monitoring field